# Character names not likely to be in the phone book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593 "2006-01-25T19:35:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/61 "2006-01-27T18:47:42Z")
Perhaps ironically, one of the best-known peculiar names in British TV SF, Professor Quatermass, actually _was_ picked out of the London telephone directory by his creator Nigel Kneale. There are, apparently, no Quatermasses left in London any more. (Either that, or they’ve all gone ex-directory.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/62 "2006-01-27T19:49:58Z")
From _Catch-22,_ (Major) Major Major Major. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/63 "2006-01-27T20:06:25Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#): > > I also had to look for a Gonzalez Gonzalez that lived in Gonzalez, TX. To my utter surprise I did find a Gonzalez Gonzalez that lives in Texas, but not in Gonzalez, Texas. Life imitates art, I suppose. I wonder if there was a Tex Gonzalez in Gonzalez, Texas … ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/64 "2006-01-27T20:10:22Z")
I have a friend whose first name is the same as one superhero’s alter ego, his last name the same as a different hero’s street name. So for his phone book listing he took the first name of the second hero and the last name of the first one. (sorry - need to preserve anonimity) ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/65 "2006-01-27T21:53:45Z")
How about “Lionel Trane” from the movie "Murder by Death? His address was 222 (something) lane. (Toot-toot-toot) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/66 "2006-01-28T00:05:06Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > From _Catch-22,_ (Major) Major Major Major. I love that one! I’ve never met a Major Major but I have met an Officer Officer, a police officer here in TN and a Trooper Looper, a TN State Trooper. I’m glad someone mentioned Dickensian characters. Tulkinghorn the lawyer, Guppy the hapless suitor and Jarndyce and Jarndyce are delighting me lately as I am waiting for the next installment of Bleak House. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/67 "2006-01-28T00:17:43Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > I wonder if there was a Tex Gonzalez in Gonzalez, Texas … Best I can tell, [Tex Gonzales](http://www.njboxinghof.org/cgi-bin/henryseehof.pl?166) was born in West Virginia and trains boxers in New Jersey. He had a pretty good record when he fought, 30-5-1. 😃 Come to think of it, you don’t meet too many guys called “Tex” around here. I guess it’s redundant. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/68 "2006-01-28T00:28:46Z")
Casanova Frankenstein ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/69 "2006-01-28T01:33:01Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > Casanova Frankenstein You know Uncle Cas? ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/70 "2006-01-28T02:59:42Z")
Robert B. Parker’s Hawk ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593/71 "2006-01-30T02:39:51Z")
In the old Dick Tracy strips, Chester Gould frequently made up last names by spelling words backwards. So we had a **Joe Tiortap** and a Mr. **Redrum** (ages before Stephen King). Look through old Dick Tracy strips and you’ll find quite a few. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-names-not-likely-to-be-in-the-phone-book/341593.md?page=3)